Harper government

In the most recent Snowden revelations, it has come to light that the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) -- the digital surveillance and intelligence arm of the Canadian government -- has been conducting a program that amounts to 'mass surveillance'.

Rob Nicholson, Stephen Harper's new Foreign Affairs Minister, is not only fluently unilingual, he has never shown much in the way of charm, affability, wit or any other of the skills one normally associates with diplomacy.

His personality in the House of Commons could be summed up in two words: dry and sour.

Harper's recent incarnation as an anti-terrorist crusader has caught many Canadians by surprise. Harper is spending considerable political energy beating the drums of war against terrorists, and introducing a far-reaching, and much condemned, bill aimed at restricting free speech, and increasing police powers. But could this move hide a more cynical purpose? Can there be an ulterior motive?

We think of right-wing evangelical religion as an influence in American politics, but, unrecognized by the public and mostly unreported, it is a powerful influence on the Conservative caucus. That would explain the destruction of environmental policies and those omnibus bills.

When it comes to religion, most 21st century Canadians are a tolerant lot, with a "live and let live" mentality. We tend to not particularly care about other Canadians' religious beliefs, or lack of religious beliefs, and we expect a similar tolerance in return.

In the future, when people ask where Stephen Harper went wrong, the pundits will say that he messed with the postal service.

This might be the place where a union rep such as myself would do some chest-thumping about the militant history of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). I could talk about the other Prime Ministers who took on the postal workers and lost. I could talk about the fight for maternity leave, or jailed union leaders... But it is not simply CUPW that is hitting back against Harper.